England fans are already running out of superlatives to accurately describe just how good Jude Bellingham is as the young midfielder helped spur the Three Lions on to a massive win against Italy which secured their place at Euro 2024.
Whilst qualification was still likely to happen in either of the next two games, Gareth Southgate’s side were aiming for “payback” after the Euro 2020 final according to Manchester City star Kyle Walker, and that’s exactly what they got.
Despite conceding the first goal, England managed to put three past Azzuri, making it two wins in the last two games against the foes who brought the nation’s previous Euros campaign to such a painful end, and although one goal came from Manchester and another from ever-reliable source, it was the young midfielder who earned the headlines on Tuesday night.
Not only did Bellingham win the penalty for captain Harry Kane‘s equaliser and set up another for Man United’s Marcus Rashford to put England in front, but the Real Madrid star absolutely ran the show from start to finish, sending social media into a frenzy and those in the ground to chant his name throughout.
Another Jude Bellingham masterclass in a string of Jude Bellingham masterclasses🤩
Waxing lyrical about the Birmingham-born attacking mid in a piece the morning after, The Athletic‘s Tim Spiers said that “almost every in the stadium [was] under Jude Bellingham’s command” and praised him not only for his performance but spirit and leadership at such a young age.
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“To be one of the world’s best players is one thing, to be an inspirational leader is another. Bellingham is both”, says Spiers.
“With his magnificent performance here, dragging England into the lead either side of half-time with moments of aggressive ingenuity, but also with his ring-mastering of the audience, it felt like this was the night Bellingham’s relationship with his home public was forged.
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“He spoke to Wembley, with his feet, with his gestures, with his rabble-rousing — and in turn they worshipped him, singing his name, shouting ‘Juuuude’, marvelling at his flicked passes, his sliding tackles, his dominance of the game.” Ridiculously high praise but not wrong; virtually everyone agrees that despite being just his 27th cap for England, he might just be our best player right now.
A standing ovation for Jude Bellingham at Wembley.
Won the equalising penalty and showed tremendous vision, touch and drive to set up Rashford's goal.
11 goals and 5 assists for Real and England this season. No better player in the world right now.🏴🌟 pic.twitter.com/Osy11VIXs1
On just his fifth start at Wembley, Bellingham is already being compared to the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard; Iniesta, Xavi, Zidane and more all in the same breath, and it’s starting to look as if England are ever going to win a trophy, this young man will play a very big part in it.
Having just joined the Spanish giants this season from Borussia Dortmund, where he was already making his incredible talent abundantly clear, he has already taken his game to a new level and become their main man, insisting that his arrival has “100% improved” him as a player.
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Bellingham was still a teenager barely five minutes ago, has already become a ‘galactico’ at one of the biggest teams in the world, is now the name fans want to see on an England teamsheet and might just be one of if not the best player on the planet right now. Big words, we know — but have you seen him?
You can see the full highlights of the Three Lions’ Euros qualification-securing win over Italy and Bellingham’s unreal performance down below:
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
18th October 2023 
